Title: FAP923: Back to school financial tips special

" A mega back to school special on today's financially podcast episode 923."

" Financially podcasters publication of the student. Didn't he stop by the web site. Actually podcast dot com these comments on blogs and subscribe. ITunes into music by Charlie -- the biggest hard."

" Good Friday August 28 2009 my name is Christa repent and thank you Virginia to the financially podcast have a great show for you today a special show couldn't get away from just pure financially -- to -- back to school financial tips. Plus is scholarship update -- stuff and of course free stuff for free song of the week so let's get rolling. With a back to school special. Let's talk about some back to school to sixteen of them financial tips to help make your life on campus a little bit easier whether you're a first -- student or you're a going to be graduating senior number one. You don't need a student credit card on campus now everyone will say you do and it's not a bad idea to have a student credit card. But you don't -- on campus you know you get 15 for establishing a credit histories of that that may be just cellphone on something that lock that sucker away. He donated on campus number two. Make a budget before the semester begins. He is really important figure out what kind of money you'll be able to -- and what you'll be spending and stick to it as much as possible. Number three team up with a roommate an army of friends would force each other's budgets the power of the group who really really works social financial apps like we -- they meant to geez you can help with this too. -- in due to set a goal that you publish among your close friends and stick to it in and it's your obvious several awards for achieving those goals -- and say okay and we managed -- To save extra fifty dollars monthly Amanda should not go over food budget whoever. Yeah where we deserve some sort of reward you just figure out -- what works best view but make sure you have goals set and then they have some rewards for them. Number four. Go for a lot of walks on campus and around town. You'll meet a town -- people and you won't have to spend any money to do it and his a lot of places you can go clubs and partying and stuff but that gets real expensive real fast. Being visible is the easiest way to meet these people if you wanna meet new people really really really fast a lot of them. Volunteer any kind of event you work the help desk that year colleges computer Centre or anything like that where you're gonna be in contact with a lot of people. Be helpful and you make some amazing fast connections that often into a long past college. I were to help desk he just getting a -- Stevenson and returning students skipping their computers set back up in a dorm rooms. For a couple years and I don't I probably met half the campus within two days I was really tired of seeing at the same Macintosh would have screens but. In terms of meeting new people and getting known. It was certainly a really really fast easily and doing it. Number five everything marked free is not to be aware of any free offer that requires you sign up for anything. I'm not saying they're all bad but just know what -- signing for some of them and I've seen this many many times campus they are still credit card applications they have all the disclosures. You know all -- their brochure or something on tables somewhere in all the just taped just felt this warm. And we'll give you freed a couple of them believe me it's not or -- Number six some of the best conversations you're gonna have our on playground -- botnets -- just click announcement. There are a lot of places like that versus you know cafes other money spending venues where you couldn't. We'll to have just as interesting discussions with people I know I said it didn't college if you wanna make you a game socially. -- go off campus wander around obviously with safety in mind particularly if you go to school -- large city and find the best hang out spots in the town and share them with their friends. When I was in school there -- a couple really really interest in little thank our notes there's one about four blocks from campus. Was -- interior courtyard open to the public but had. Free seeding for the public and some really really really nice waterfalls built in this great little place no one ever went there causing didn't know it existed so if you want take friends. For like for like a long serious talk places like that are awesome they are hidden C need decent footwork but if you know those places you can make your own -- socially. Number seven check -- campus email every day it sounds so silly but it's true financial aid offices often send notices to a campus email address city. Don't necessarily use your Hotmail or Gmail Yahoo! address. Don't miss any bills don't mess any changes in your financial aid if you're technically savvy. Figure out a way of course -- forward -- camp casinos your web mail account but if you're not to make sure you check your campus email account is so important that he do that. At least for the first month why you bills getting settled and you know make sure that you check it frequently after that. Number eight. By and bring to campus or you'll buy it on campus from what the local Wal-Mart in indoor -- rack. You will cut you laundry bill literally in half. And the -- will pay for itself in weeks particularly if it's like -- with a 1015 dollar once I saw someone's at the local local Wal-Mart that at the magnetic melt ones for dorm rooms. And once it's a closet basis and -- like a big free of sorties to just hang off the -- not sit down treat you hang your stuff on there and just look at air -- Given that most campus washing machines like two bucks to -- a buck fifty to try you don't need to be spending the money on the tripe are you got air that's free. Number nine -- we sealed containers to campus -- saying. Bring them into the dining hall or anything but today you know. Make sure you don't skip meals to if you've paid for them a from the dining plan that passes throwing money away so make sure that you you show up for the things you've paid for. Number ten. Have a small lock box into normal personal safe feel a little fire Safeway every -- checks. Debit cards in there and locked up because you and your roommate maybe just really but I no -- and off lot of my college at time. My dorm room door is mostly opened most of the time I was in the room obviously but he still is brought to the bathroom whenever things can happen. Here's the trick with lock boxes make sure you get a humble about a key block but a -- lock for a couple reasons number one. If you lose your keys and we all do. You're not out of luck and number two if you're drunk you can't get of the good stuff until it's over and after a member of the combination and mean it's absolutely seriously get it lock box hasn't accommodation lucky you'll be much happier fort. Number eleven. If you have a student ID card that's tied to any kind of financial accounting out debit cards with cardinal card whenever. Punch a hole in it stick it out any teaching a pretty key shell -- I lost it was a lost. ID cards like once a year if before it started out putting it onto my key to any Mets lose the keys wants tries to but. At least if it's on the line you -- it's substantially bigger and harder to lose. Number twelve. Opt out of as many fees and unnecessary bills is possible such -- campus phone and TV service they will stick that on your bill. Unless you explicitly tell them not to know seriously you know you have the Internet what else you need. Get free applications like Skype which provides voice over IP voice over Internet. Change your mobile plant unlimited calling for your call home -- if your first U student who probably will. Use Hulu dot com for television and then just Campbell those extra unnecessary expenses that the college will put on your bill. Unless you tell them not to make sure the check you built to -- don't just assume that you know someone else is gonna take care for you. Number thirteen shop around for better -- crisis there are a lot of places online that he can get textbooks for much cheaper than the bookstore. Even the bookstores used prices may not be as good as we can find online. I'll put a link to our free e-book on cheap textbooks fining cheap textbooks in the show notes of financially podcast dot com slash blog which she read it it's really has a -- read dispose of pictures. But there's a lot of there's a lot of really good resource for finding cheap text books out there -- fourteen. If you living off campus and on a partial or no real plan sign up for you supermarkets loyalty card -- a little you know cards you scan at the check on whatever. Coupon hunt online and get a decent meal plan together before you go shopping. Planning ahead a little who's gonna save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year on food that you didn't need to buy in a -- have a meal plan you see this week. Him whatever Cannes this that is on sale you buy a bunch of that this week you stockpile it and save a ton of money that went. Number fifteen cent an affiliate program during college on your personal website and give you were personal professional web presence going as soon as he can. You will have I guarantee you and no matter how busy you you think you are you'll have more free time in college than you will after college to take the time while you're in school. Set your blog your personal website for career purposes. And develop professional contacts really by the time you graduate you'll be way ahead of everyone else playing the resonate Canon gaming I -- graduates deals -- aren't you don't. And he you have to your friends are going on you want Fries with that. You wanna be ahead of them you wanna get known for something new fuel study if focused early on be blocking about a be writing about it be submitting articles to the professional journals -- yeah it's extra work but I guarantee you it will pay off. Very very handsomely. When you do gradually even if your senior right now you still have a year's time. To set up that personal professional presence in a simple Linkedin profile and stuff and yet year career off to an early start. At sixteen last and certainly not least keep hunting for scholarships pick a time each week one hour we can apply for new scholarship each week while you're in school. There are pulling it scholarships have deadly it's throughout the UC confined them you can apply for the pick an -- on Sunday afternoon and apply for one a week at least if you do to even better I guarantee after a year you will be happy that you did. If he can. Gets in France together make it a social thing -- Sundays at two we're gonna meet at the library -- gonna -- at the dining hall of you know we had dense underground it was kind of on campus Mike a restaurant. Most -- terrible food. At at the time interest that now. But kept -- together and you do your scholarship hunting together for as a social thing because you might find scholarships at the you know your best friend is is eligible for you're not but you share with them and help them. A -- ecologists more affordable for them at the very least they can afford to buy some beer afterwards so. That's sixteen financial tips for back to school if you got your own financial tips from back to school. I wanna hear about them. Post it note on financially podcast dot com slash blog in the comets or leave a comment on a FaceBook group -- to FaceBook dot com slash scholarship points which -- over. Our wrap up social group and -- leave comments there love to hear what you're doing to save more money at college. Time now for a scholarship update. Two things and -- scholarship update today first of course for -- points members we'll have a -- leader on the show for twenty points towards any discussion -- giving way thousand dollars every month. And that 10000 dollars gosh drawings coming up at the end of October following night. If you are not a member scholarship points sign up like -- said Richardson with thousand dollars -- signing up is easy and it is free. Now for this we scholarship want to revisit the social media scholarship because really had a few people plus fort I think yes there's some confusion about how to apply so what we've done we've changed -- The 500 dollar social media marketing scholarship now who question just send an email. To win scholarships -- dot com with the subject 500 dollar social media marketing scholarship and then in the emails to say why you're good can to to compete for the scholarship. The deadline -- been revised to August 31 2009. And will post new deadlines of course at scholarship points dot com there as well so that is. The scholarship update for the week let's move on to the mailed it."

" It's. Yeah."

" In this week's mail next CC asked on Twitter how would you handle save for college with young kids decently got a chunk of money for just deprive them mostly for parents. This all really depends on risk more than anything else how much risk you -- comfortable with and how long it would take you to earn back the money. If you happen to lose a good chunk of it in investments. Almost every vehicle for college out there that is billed as a savings plan actually is not the our investment plans which means that you stand a chance to not only lose any -- beast in the -- regional money as well. Even things like five -- nine savings plans are not really savings plans they are investment plans and you're a regional money that they -- chunk of money. Is at risk and those -- If you are risk averse if you just flat out can't. Afford to lose any of the original money you wanna look at FDIC insured savings vehicles to market savings accounts. You'll look at CDs certificates of deposit those the private safest ways that or FTSE bonds -- treasury bonds. -- the safest ways to store your money so that at least the nominal principled does not ever going down if we have 5000 dollars you'll never go below 5000 dollars -- aren't a whole lot about it. But you won't lose any. If you have really young kids and you're more risk where annual more willing to take risks yet there's a ton of different investment vehicles out there. The -- 529 plans are one possibility -- tax exempt bond funds. There's all sorts of things for those sorts of things I would testing recommend you contact a certified financial planner. Because those the folks who will be able to give you professional advice about how much risk you're willing to take in roughly the the estimated risks of any given savings vehicle. -- investment vehicle but. If you risk diversity just don't wanna lose money if it's FDIC insured to at least your principal -- it which amount is not at risk but a good question notes a question that some folks have had to face the past. It again for these economic times. I personally would say. You probably don't want to take a lot of risk just because you earning back the money can be -- really really hard and circumstances can change overnight. That's my personal view I am not a financial planner I am not a CPA hear anyone who's -- certified to be giving financial advice so. Take it with a grain of salt of course time now for free stuff Friday."

" It's freestyle Friday the part of the show we talk about interest in little free finds all over the Internet and of course everything will be in the show notes at financially podcast dot com slash block. -- don't need to remember stuff that we talked about a write it down to stood go on over to the show's website. Also if you hear about anything that might be useful to you or someone you know laureate you have folks who -- not -- it's -- you. Grab it anywhere in donated if you got a local community center. Family shelter or something like that in your area don't -- to community old it -- and at no cost -- you so let's get rolling. First is uncle Matt's organic aren't you -- giving -- fifty ninths the Afghan -- of bottle which is what. That's a lot cuts liken it almost a gallon jug of arch is they want to try to organic arches in the mail you one against the taco Del Mar is giving away free taco if you confess you're sins to them publicly on their website so feel free to. To have some fun with that hallmark is giving away free nine and aunts and greeting card -- local hallmark started source if you. Want to do any kind of back to school load will wish is for someone that you know feel free to grab one of their cards. Flex or style for always giving me some of their feminine hygiene products for average check that out near on time. Flying shares giving away free -- rentable dvds so if you are up planning on downloading hopefully legally. While you're at college this is a good way to store some of that data please of course soon know that we do not condone illegal downloading we recommend you download legally instead -- plenty of independent musicians out there. Who loved your attention and love that you would share some of this venues can of course -- by the rest of music. Walgreens is giving away 254 -- photos so if you happen to be going to the first back to school party and -- what you digital camera with yet. You can protect the 25 best photos of the party and didn't hold for blackmail. And finally had to say that out loud I did. Finally chick -- one of the free chicken sandwiches for his signing for the chicken we've got -- campaign where they're going to try -- people in major venues to to -- around -- the chicken sign of some kind so if you sign up for free agent for the thing you get a free chicken sandwich so. That is a free stuff of the week. This -- scholarship when points code is going to be IMG 63341. That's -- and -- Amazon movie G is -- 63. 341. And of course that is worth twenty points at scholarship points dot com. Let's roll out of this week's show. With. A good summer and this is David -- killed lights."

" Yeah. -- Brand new --"

" That was David -- skillful flights from his new album he can check him added David -- dot com -- gonna show notes at financially podcast dot com. That's gonna do it for this back to school episode of the financially podcast -- enjoyed today's show. If you focus measles Suffolk please give it to a friend share it it is an MP3 you can decide put on use your personal website you can give it away. Put him a flash drive how well whatever you wanna do with the show. Just you share with as many people as as you want to is completely free to do so it is legal to do so I encourage you to do so. I often forget sometimes to tell people that yeah we create all the stuff for the student on network of these. It's not it's not a legally -- can get in trouble with the recording industry for sharing this particular mp3. So please share it with a friend -- some until -- to about the financial and podcasts -- get hooked up if you listen to it. And you know and let's get as if it's as much financial help to people as we possibly can out there. If you have any comments or questions feedback of any kind please get in touch financially podcast at gmail.com his email address you can call 617606. 3661. To leave a voicemail for the show or of course leave a comment on the website at financial -- podcast dot com. That's the -- of this we can hope you have a great weekend to help you if you back at school -- hoping have a good time please be safe. You know blessing wanna do is have to removes -- congressman mailing -- who accidentally died which sucks so please don't do that be safe be smart. And have a great time back at school take care. Now touching Mexico for the financially podcast."